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Kamalova A, Manoocheri K, Liu X, Casello SM, Huang M, Baimel C, Jang EV, Anastasiades PG, Collins DP, Carter AG. CCK+ Interneurons Contribute to Thalamus-Evoked Feed-Forward Inhibition in the Prelimbic Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0957232024. [PMID: 38697841 PMCID: PMC11154858 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0957-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulate local neural activity to influence cognitive, motivated, and emotional behaviors. Parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons are the primary mediators of thalamus-evoked feed-forward inhibition across the mouse cortex, including the anterior cingulate cortex, where they are engaged by inputs from the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus. In contrast, in the adjacent prelimbic (PL) cortex, we find that PV+ interneurons are scarce in the principal thalamorecipient layer 3 (L3), suggesting distinct mechanisms of inhibition. To identify the interneurons that mediate MD-evoked inhibition in PL, we combine slice physiology, optogenetics, and intersectional genetic tools in mice of both sexes. We find interneurons expressing cholecystokinin (CCK+) are abundant in L3 of PL, with cells exhibiting fast-spiking (fs) or non-fast-spiking (nfs) properties. MD inputs make stronger connections onto fs-CCK+ interneurons, driving them to fire more readily than nearby L3 pyramidal cells and other interneurons. CCK+ interneurons in turn make inhibitory, perisomatic connections onto L3 pyramidal cells, where they exhibit cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) mediated modulation. Moreover, MD-evoked feed-forward inhibition, but not direct excitation, is also sensitive to CB1R modulation. Our findings indicate that CCK+ interneurons contribute to MD-evoked inhibition in PL, revealing a mechanism by which cannabinoids can modulate MD-PFC communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aichurok Kamalova
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Kasra Manoocheri
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Xingchen Liu
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Matthew Huang
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Corey Baimel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Emily V Jang
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | | | - David P Collins
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Adam G Carter
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
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Quintana D, Bounds H, Veit J, Adesnik H. Balanced bidirectional optogenetics reveals the causal impact of cortical temporal dynamics in sensory perception. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.30.596706. [PMID: 38853943 PMCID: PMC11160799 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.30.596706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Whether the fast temporal dynamics of neural activity in brain circuits causally drive perception and cognition remains one of most longstanding unresolved questions in neuroscience 1-6 . While some theories posit a 'timing code' in which dynamics on the millisecond timescale is central to brain function, others instead argue that mean firing rates over more extended periods (a 'rate code') carry most of the relevant information. Existing tools, such as optogenetics, can be used to alter temporal structure of neural dynamics 7 , but they invariably change mean firing rates, leaving the interpretation of such experiments ambiguous. Here we developed and validated a new approach based on balanced, bidirectional optogenetics that can alter temporal structure of neural dynamics while mitigating effects on mean activity. Using this new approach, we found that selectively altering cortical temporal dynamics substantially reduced performance in a sensory perceptual task. These results demonstrate that endogenous temporal dynamics in the cortex are causally required for perception and behavior. More generally, this new bidirectional optogenetic approach should be broadly useful for disentangling the causal impact of different timescales of neural dynamics on behavior.
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Ocklenburg S, Guo ZV. Cross-hemispheric communication: Insights on lateralized brain functions. Neuron 2024; 112:1222-1234. [PMID: 38458199 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
On the surface, the two hemispheres of vertebrate brains look almost perfectly symmetrical, but several motor, sensory, and cognitive systems show a deeply lateralized organization. Importantly, the two hemispheres are connected by various commissures, white matter tracts that cross the brain's midline and enable cross-hemispheric communication. Cross-hemispheric communication has been suggested to play an important role in the emergence of lateralized brain functions. Here, we review current advances in understanding cross-hemispheric communication that have been made using modern neuroscientific tools in rodents and other model species, such as genetic labeling, large-scale recordings of neuronal activity, spatiotemporally precise perturbation, and quantitative behavior analyses. These findings suggest that the emergence of lateralized brain functions cannot be fully explained by largely static factors such as genetic variation and differences in structural brain asymmetries. In addition, learning-dependent asymmetric interactions between the left and right hemispheres shape lateralized brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Zengcai V Guo
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Negrón-Oyarzo I, Dib T, Chacana-Véliz L, López-Quilodrán N, Urrutia-Piñones J. Large-scale coupling of prefrontal activity patterns as a mechanism for cognitive control in health and disease: evidence from rodent models. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1286111. [PMID: 38638163 PMCID: PMC11024307 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1286111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control of behavior is crucial for well-being, as allows subject to adapt to changing environments in a goal-directed way. Changes in cognitive control of behavior is observed during cognitive decline in elderly and in pathological mental conditions. Therefore, the recovery of cognitive control may provide a reliable preventive and therapeutic strategy. However, its neural basis is not completely understood. Cognitive control is supported by the prefrontal cortex, structure that integrates relevant information for the appropriate organization of behavior. At neurophysiological level, it is suggested that cognitive control is supported by local and large-scale synchronization of oscillatory activity patterns and neural spiking activity between the prefrontal cortex and distributed neural networks. In this review, we focus mainly on rodent models approaching the neuronal origin of these prefrontal patterns, and the cognitive and behavioral relevance of its coordination with distributed brain systems. We also examine the relationship between cognitive control and neural activity patterns in the prefrontal cortex, and its role in normal cognitive decline and pathological mental conditions. Finally, based on these body of evidence, we propose a common mechanism that may underlie the impaired cognitive control of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Negrón-Oyarzo
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Tatiana Dib
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Lorena Chacana-Véliz
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Nélida López-Quilodrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jocelyn Urrutia-Piñones
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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Bertero A, Apicella AJ. Distinct electrophysiological properties of long-range GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons from the lateral amygdala to the auditory cortex of the mouse. J Physiol 2024; 602:1733-1757. [PMID: 38493320 DOI: 10.1113/jp286094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Differentiating between auditory signals of various emotional significance plays a crucial role in an individual's ability to thrive and excel in social interactions and in survival. Multiple approaches, including anatomical studies, electrophysiological investigations, imaging techniques, optogenetics and chemogenetics, have confirmed that the auditory cortex (AC) impacts fear-related behaviours driven by auditory stimuli by conveying auditory information to the lateral amygdala (LA) through long-range excitatory glutamatergic and GABAergic connections. In addition, the LA provides glutamatergic projections to the AC which are important to fear memory expression and are modified by associative fear learning. Here we test the hypothesis that the LA also sends long-range direct inhibitory inputs to the cortex. To address this fundamental question, we used anatomical and electrophysiological approaches, allowing us to directly assess the nature of GABAergic inputs from the LA to the AC in the mouse. Our findings elucidate the existence of a long-range inhibitory pathway from the LA to the AC (LAC) via parvalbumin-expressing (LAC-Parv) and somatostatin-expressing (LAC-SOM) neurons. This research identifies distinct electrophysiological properties for genetically defined long-range GABAergic neurons involved in the communication between the LA and the cortex (LAC-Parv inhibitory projections → AC neurons; LAC-Som inhibitory projections → AC neurons) within the lateral amygdala cortical network. KEY POINTS: The mouse auditory cortex receives inputs from the lateral amygdala. Retrograde viral tracing techniques allowed us to identify two previously undescribed lateral amygdala to auditory cortex (LAC) GABAergic projecting neurons. Extensive electrophysiological, morphological and anatomical characterization of LAC neurons is provided here, demonstrating key differences in the three populations. This study paves the way for a better understanding of the growing complexity of the cortico-amygdala-cortico circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bertero
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Alfonso Junior Apicella
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Lopez MR, Wasberg SMH, Gagliardi CM, Normandin ME, Muzzio IA. Mystery of the memory engram: History, current knowledge, and unanswered questions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105574. [PMID: 38331127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The quest to understand the memory engram has intrigued humans for centuries. Recent technological advances, including genetic labelling, imaging, optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques, have propelled the field of memory research forward. These tools have enabled researchers to create and erase memory components. While these innovative techniques have yielded invaluable insights, they often focus on specific elements of the memory trace. Genetic labelling may rely on a particular immediate early gene as a marker of activity, optogenetics may activate or inhibit one specific type of neuron, and imaging may capture activity snapshots in a given brain region at specific times. Yet, memories are multifaceted, involving diverse arrays of neuronal subpopulations, circuits, and regions that work in concert to create, store, and retrieve information. Consideration of contributions of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, micro and macro circuits across brain regions, the dynamic nature of active ensembles, and representational drift is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Lopez
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - S M H Wasberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - C M Gagliardi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - M E Normandin
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - I A Muzzio
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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Petersen D, Raudales R, Silva AK, Kellendonk C, Canetta S. Adolescent Thalamocortical Inhibition Alters Prefrontal Excitation-Inhibition Balance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.22.568048. [PMID: 38562790 PMCID: PMC10983865 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.22.568048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Adolescent inhibition of thalamo-cortical projections from postnatal day P20-50 leads to long lasting deficits in prefrontal cortex function and cognition in the adult mouse. While this suggests a role of thalamic activity in prefrontal cortex maturation, it is unclear how inhibition of these projections affects prefrontal circuit connectivity during adolescence. Here, we used chemogenetic tools to inhibit thalamo-prefrontal projections in the mouse from P20-35 and measured synaptic inputs to prefrontal pyramidal neurons by layer (either II/III or V/VI) and projection target twenty-four hours later using slice physiology. We found a decrease in the frequency of excitatory and inhibitory currents in layer II/III nucleus accumbens (NAc) and layer V/VI medio-dorsal thalamus projecting neurons while layer V/VI NAc-projecting neurons showed an increase in the amplitude of excitatory and inhibitory currents. Regarding cortical projections, the frequency of inhibitory but not excitatory currents was enhanced in contralateral mPFC-projecting neurons. Notably, despite these complex changes in individual levels of excitation and inhibition, the overall balance between excitation and inhibition in each cell was only changed in the contralateral mPFC projections. This finding suggests homeostatic regulation occurs within subcortically but not intracortical callosally-projecting neurons. Increased inhibition of intra-prefrontal connectivity may therefore be particularly important for prefrontal cortex circuit maturation. Finally, we observed cognitive deficits in the adult mouse using this narrowed window of thalamocortical inhibition (P20-P35).
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Affiliation(s)
- David Petersen
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Ricardo Raudales
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Ariadna Kim Silva
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Christoph Kellendonk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Sarah Canetta
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032
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Sohal VS. Neurobiology of schizophrenia. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102820. [PMID: 38091860 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0444, USA.
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Walder-Christensen K, Abdelaal K, Klein H, Thomas GE, Gallagher NM, Talbot A, Adamson E, Rawls A, Hughes D, Mague SD, Dzirasa K, Carlson DE. Electome network factors: Capturing emotional brain networks related to health and disease. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100691. [PMID: 38215761 PMCID: PMC10832286 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic development for mental disorders has been slow despite the high worldwide prevalence of illness. Unfortunately, cellular and circuit insights into disease etiology have largely failed to generalize across individuals that carry the same diagnosis, reflecting an unmet need to identify convergent mechanisms that would facilitate optimal treatment. Here, we discuss how mesoscale networks can encode affect and other cognitive processes. These networks can be discovered through electrical functional connectome (electome) analysis, a method built upon explainable machine learning models for analyzing and interpreting mesoscale brain-wide signals in a behavioral context. We also outline best practices for identifying these generalizable, interpretable, and biologically relevant networks. Looking forward, translational electome analysis can span species and various moods, cognitive processes, or other brain states, supporting translational medicine. Thus, we argue that electome analysis provides potential translational biomarkers for developing next-generation therapeutics that exhibit high efficacy across heterogeneous disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Walder-Christensen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Karim Abdelaal
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Hunter Klein
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Gwenaëlle E Thomas
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Neil M Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City, NY 10065, USA
| | - Austin Talbot
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Elise Adamson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ashleigh Rawls
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Dalton Hughes
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Stephen D Mague
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Kafui Dzirasa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - David E Carlson
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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